How the finely-tuned horror sound for 'Crystal Lake' was made: | A Sound Effect

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Crystal Lake is Peacock/HBO Max’s new prequel series to horror classic Friday the 13th - and all 8 episodes are out now, just in time for the spooky season!

In this excellent new episode from Audio Podcast Alliance member Tonebenders, supervising sound editors and re-recording mixers Steve “Major” Giammaria and Nicholas Renbeck take you behind the show’s sound, with a special focus on episode one.

Want to know why crows became a warning sign in the mix, which animals they used for the CGI bear’s voice, what they did with the crickets when Jason shows up - and why Major’s go-to delay preset is called Ghost Grandpa? Listen to the full interview below, complete with handy chapter navigation:

Interview by Timothy Muirhead, with Steve “Major” Giammaria and Nicholas Renbeck

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Watch the trailer for Crystal Lake here:

Crystal Lake | Official Trailer | Peacock Original

Tonebenders Sound Design Podcast, episode 381 - Crystal Lake

How the sound for Crystal Lake was made:

Here’s Tonebenders’ official introduction

Crystal Lake is the hit new prequel series to the Friday the 13th franchise. The sound team had a tricky tightrope walk, to find the tone of the original series but also make it something new as well. The show is a great mix of drama, horror and comedy and the audio post team was tasked with guiding the viewer through all this with sound design that is both over the top and extremely subtle. Supervising Sound Editors/Re-Recording Mixers Steve “Major” Giammaria and Nicholas Renbeck walk us through their fantastic work on Crystal Lake.

Having trouble hearing the podcast? Listen on Apple Podcasts here

Jump to a chapter

Click any chapter to start the episode at that moment:

0:00Introduction 3:30How Major and Nick ended up on the show and split the work 5:00Paying homage to the first Friday the 13th7:01How much camp is too much - and when the showrunner asked for more 8:52Crows as a warning, frogs - and a clanging ceiling fan 11:48Voices across the lake, loop group panning presets, and a lav on everyone 14:25When to break with reality in the Founder’s Day fireworks 17:22Why Major’s go-to delay preset is called Ghost Grandpa 18:03Premixing dialogue and effects in two different rooms 19:46How the score gave the scenes momentum without overpowering them 20:31Approaching the horror like a drama 23:50Pamela’s run down the dock and into the lake 25:59The dialogue premix and the source music 27:53The gore - and a body smeared with tuna fish and blueberries 30:50The voice of the CGI bear 32:11Four-hour spotting sessions and mixing on first instinct 35:32Who’s at the spotting sessions and why Nick watches the cut beforehand 36:59Starting and ending with episode one 38:31What are Nick sounds?39:26What they did with the crickets when Jason shows up 40:14Creative ADR, dialogue cleanup - and why Jason’s prosthetics meant a lot of ADR 42:35The meat grinder and the syringe sound 43:55Outro

Tonebenders is one of the 20 members of the Audio Podcast Alliance - meet them all here:

AMPS Podcast • Audio Logs • CAS In Conversation • Dolby Creator Talks • Field & Foley • Immersive Audio Podcast • LA Post Production Sound Design • Level with Emily Reese • Location Sound Podcast • Sound Business • Soundbytes Podcast • SoundGirls Podcast • Soundtrack Show • Soundworks Collection • The A Sound Effect Podcast • The Game Audio Journey • The Sound Architect Podcast • Tonebenders • Twenty Thousand Hertz

Want more? Explore all 20 member podcasts and their newest episodes on one page:

Visit the Audio Podcast Alliance